This invention relates, in general, to a work piece separation apparatus, and more particularly to a gravity fed work piece singulation assembly capable of presenting work pieces to an inspection site.
In today's competitive marketplace, where quality of goods and services is demanded, most manufacturing facilities include a minimum of one inspection step in their production processes. Typically, the inspection step includes stopping, inspecting, and releasing a plurality of work pieces. In many instances, the work pieces are released individually rather than as a group, a method commonly referred to as singulation. Further, the inspection process entails not merely stopping the work pieces, but stopping them in an exact, predetermined, location.
One apparatus that manufacturers have used to stop and inspect work pieces has been a two wheel system comprising a roller wheel and a drive wheel wherein each wheel is actuated by a motor. Unfortunately, this implementation uses two motors thereby adding to the initial cost of the apparatus as well as the cost for maintaining the apparatus. What is more, inspection of work pieces in a singulation regime is difficult because the view of the work pieces is obstructed by the wheels. Moreover, the location at which work pieces are to be stopped is imprecise, further hampering the visual inspection process.
A second type of apparatus used by many manufacturers to separate work pieces is a solenoid driven stop pin, wherein the stop pin is capable of stopping a single work piece or a plurality of work pieces. Typically, these types of culling apparatus require two solenoids, thereby adding to the cost of the apparatus. Moreover, the solenoid apparatus increases the time required to complete the culling process, commonly referred to as increasing the cycle time. In addition, the solenoid apparatus tends to damage work pieces. A third type of culling apparatus capable of singulating work pieces is a motor driven inverting apparatus. The primary disadvantage of this apparatus is the increase in cycle time it incurs by inverting the work pieces, leaving them in an incorrect orientation for further production steps.
Accordingly, it would be beneficial to have a means for culling work pieces which is also capable of inspecting the work pieces; and in particular for the culling step to be singulation. Further, it is desirable for the culling apparatus to include a mechanism for stopping work pieces at a precise location to facilitate visual inspection. Moreover, the culling apparatus should not increase cycle time. Finally, it would be advantageous for the system to be inexpensive to purchase as well as to maintain.